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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. saw — the tool
  4. land — ground
  5. saw — the tool
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lean — thin
  15. vault — a safe
  16. deal — to handle
  17. land — a country
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. land — to come down
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com